Wednesday, September 23, 2009
IELTS Academic Writing Task 1
The IELTS Writing Test should start at 11.45am, after the Reading Test. There
are 2 parts to the Writing Test, and you have a total of 60 minutes to complete
them.
You should spend 20 minutes doing IELTS Writing Task 1. You must write 150
words or more. You will have to describe a graph, chart, table, diagram or map.
The good news is that you can quickly learn how to write a Task 1 essay. I'll
make sure you know exactly what to do in the exam.
We'll work on these areas:
• How to structure a good Task 1 essay.
• How to decide what information to include in your description.
• The words, phrases and grammatical structures for describing graphs,
charts, tables, diagrams and maps.
By using the right techniques, you can write the kind of essay that examiners
like.
Thursday, June 03, 2010
IELTS Writing Task 1: general to specific
My IELTS Writing Task 1 essays follow a "general to specific" structure.
• The introduction is the most general part of the essay; it simply tells the
reader what the graph is about.
• Then I write a paragraph about the main points or a general trend.
• Finally, I write 2 paragraphs describing specific facts or figures.
• I don't write a conclusion because I have already summarised the
information in paragraph 2.
Look at the graph below. First, make sure you understand it. Then look for a
general trend. Finally, select specific points on the graph to describe in detail.
Thursday, August 05, 2010
IELTS Writing Task 1: how to write an introduction
The introduction to an IELTS writing task 1 essay should explain what the
chart/graph shows. To do this, just paraphrase the question (rewrite it in your

simple.

Fill the gaps in the graph description with the past simple verbs below.
In 1999, the proportion of people using the Internet in the USA ______ about
20%. The figures for Canada and Mexico ______ lower, at about 10% and 5%
respectively. In 2005, Internet usage in both the USA and Canada ______
around 70% of the population, while the figure for Mexico ______ just over
25%.
By 2009, the percentage of Internet users ______ highest in Canada. Almost
100% of Canadians ______ the Internet, compared to about 80% of Americans
and only 40% of Mexicans.
Verbs:
rose to, were, used, reached, was (x2)
CORRECT ANSWERS: 1.was, 2.were, 3.rose to, 4.reached, 5.was, 6.used
Thursday, August 26, 2010
IELTS Writing Task 1: full essay
The essay below is 151 words long. I've tried to make it as simple as possible,
but it's still good enough to get a band 9.
The line graph compares the percentage of people in three countries who used
the Internet between 1999 and 2009.
It is clear that the proportion of the population who used the Internet increased
in each country over the period shown. Overall, a much larger percentage of
Canadians and Americans had access to the Internet in comparison with
Mexicans, and Canada experienced the fastest growth in Internet usage.
In 1999, the proportion of people using the Internet in the USA was about 20%.
The figures for Canada and Mexico were lower, at about 10% and 5%
respectively. In 2005, Internet usage in both the USA and Canada rose to
around 70% of the population, while the figure for Mexico reached just over
25%.
By 2009, the percentage of Internet users was highest in Canada. Almost 100%

2. During the winter, ______ for electricity ______ ______ around 45,000 units
between 9 p.m. and 10 p.m.
3. During the summer, ______ of electricity is at its ______, at about 20,000
units, between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m.
4. ______ for electricity is ______ its ______ between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m.
______ both seasons.
CORRECT ANSWERS FROM SIMON:
1. consumption, twice
2. demand, peaks at
3. consumption, highest
4. demand, at, lowest, in
Note: "demand FOR", "consumption OF"
Thursday, April 07, 2011 chua hoc
IELTS Writing Task 1: pie chart
The pie chart below shows how electricity is used in an average English home.
(Cambridge IELTS 4, page 54)

Fill the gaps using words from the following list.
appliances
remaining
account
proportion
for
largest
household
In an average English home, the ______ ______ of electricity, 52.5%, is used
for heating rooms and water.
Three kitchen ______, namely ovens, kettles and washing machines, ______
______ 17.5% of ______ electricity use.
The ______ 30% of electricity is used for lighting, televisions and radios (15%),

If you want to get a high score for task 1, you must write an 'overview' of the
information. An overview is a summary of the main points or general trends.
How would you write an overview for this graph?
I try to write two sentences for my overview, so I look for two main points or
trends. I don't usually mention any numbers because I save them for my 'details'
paragraphs.
Example overview:
It is clear that Canada exported more wheat than Australia and the European
Community for most of the period shown. However, while Canada's wheat
exports fluctuated and Australia's fell, wheat exports from the European
Community rose steadily.
Thursday, May 05, 2011
IELTS Writing Task 1: to, by, with, at
Several people have asked me to explain how to use to, by, with and at when
describing numbers. Here are some examples to give you a basic idea of the
differences:
1) Use to when describing what happened to the number:
In 2008, the rate of unemployment rose to 10%.
2) Use by when describing the amount of change between two numbers:
In 2009, the rate of unemployment fell by 2% (from 10% to 8%).
3) Use with to give the idea of 'having' the number:
Obama won the election with 52% of the vote.
4) Use at to add the number on the end of a sentence:
Unemployment reached its highest level in 2008, at 10%.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
IELTS Writing Task 1: comparisons
You can use "compared to", "compared with" and "in comparison with" in the
same way. For example:
• Prices in the UK are high compared to / with / in comparison with (prices
in) Canada and Australia.

To summarise graphs, I look for the overall change from the first year to the last
year shown. I also look for the main trends or the highest and lowest numbers.
Here's my 2-sentence summary for the graph above:
It is clear that the total number of marriages per year fell between 1951 and
2009. While the number of first marriages fell dramatically from the end of the
1960s, the figure for remarriages remained stable.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
IELTS Writing Task 1: describing details
Last week I wrote a lesson about summarising the information on a graph. After
your summary, you then need to describe specific details. It's important to
include numbers and make some comparisons.
Try to write 2 paragraphs describing details. It looks more organised if you
divide the information into 2 parts.
For line graphs, I always use the following approach:
1st detail paragraph: compare the numbers for the first year (e.g. 1951), then
describe the changes up to a key point on the graph (e.g. peak numbers in 1971).
2nd detail paragraph: explain the general trend for each line after the key point
(1971), then compare the numbers for the last year shown (2009).
Thursday, September 01, 2011
IELTS Writing Task 1: line graphs
Line graphs always show changes over time. Here's some advice about how to
describe them:
• Try to write 4 paragraphs - introduction, summary of main points, 2 detail
paragraphs.
• For your summary paragraph, look at the "big picture" - what changes
happened to all of the lines from the beginning to the end of the period
shown (i.e. from the first year to the last). Is there a trend that all of the
lines follow (e.g. an overall increase)?
• You don't need to give numbers in your summary paragraph. Numbers
are specific details. Just mention general things like 'overall change',

I'll share my answers in the "comments" area tomorrow, and we'll look at an
IELTS question about house prices next week (Cambridge 7, test 3).
CORRECT ANSWERS FROM SIMON:
1. In July 2011, UK house prices rose by 0.3%.
2. House prices were 0.5% higher over the three months from May to July than
in the previous three months, but prices fell by 2.6% over the preceding 12
months.
3. The average UK house price in 2011 is just under 13% below the average
price in 2007.
Notice that I have used the original text as much as possible - by doing this, you
practise expressing ideas in the same way as an expert. Don't worry about
'copying' - we are just practising.
Thursday, October 06, 2011
IELTS Writing Task 1: general to specific
If you read any of my example essays, you will see that I always write 4
paragraphs, and I use a "general to specific" essay structure.
• The introduction is the most general part of the essay; it tells the reader
what the chart is about.
• Then I write a paragraph about the main points or the most general points.
• Finally, I write 2 paragraphs describing specific facts or figures.
• I don't write a conclusion because I have already summarised the
information in paragraph 2.
One reason I put the summary near the beginning (rather than at the end) is
because I think it's easier to describe general things first, then specific things
later.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
IELTS Writing Task 1: line graph exercise
The graph below shows UK acid rain emissions, measured in millions of
tonnes, from four different sectors between 1990 and 2007.
I've made the following essay into a gap-fill exercise.

UK Household Expenditure in 2009
Household ______ ______ highest in the transport category, ______ £63 a
week. This included £21.10 per week ______ purchase of vehicles, £31.80 on
the operation of personal transport (such as petrol, diesel, repairs and servicing)
and £10.50 on transport services such as rail, tube and bus fares.
Food and non-alcoholic drink purchases ______ £51 to weekly household
expenditure - £13.10 of which ______ ______ on meat and fish, £3.70 on fresh
vegetables, and £3.00 on fresh fruit. Non-alcoholic drinks ______ ______ £4.00
______ weekly expenditure, and £2.10 per week was spent on chocolate and
confectionery.
Fill the gaps with the following words:
spent, spending, for, on, at, of, accounted, contributed, was (x2)
CORRECT ANSWERS FROM SIMON:
spending was
at
on
contributed
was spent
accounted for
of
Thursday, January 12, 2012
IELTS Writing Task 1: comparing numbers
Fill the gaps in the following text using the words below it. If you find any of
the gaps difficult, miss them and come back to them after doing the easier ones.
Emigration from the UK
The number of people leaving the UK for 12 months or more ______ ______
record ______ in 2008, ______ an estimated 427,000 people emigrating. This
______ ______ from 341,000 in 2007.
There has been a large ______ ______ the number of people emigrating for
work related reasons, particularly those with a definite job to go to. In 2008 an

although there was little change in the ______ for this category. The biggest
change was seen in the proportion of households without a car, which fell
steadily over the 36-year period ______ around 25% in 2007. In contrast, the
proportion of two-car families rose steadily, reaching about 26% in 2007, and
the proportion of households with more than two cars rose ______ around 5%.
Fill the gaps in the essay with the following words:
almost, to, figures, per, between, by, over, with, without, onwards
CORRECT ANSWERS FROM SIMON:
1. per
2. over
3. between
4. without
5. almost
6. with
7. onwards
8. figures
9. to
10. by
Thursday, February 16, 2012
IELTS Writing Task 1: grammar mistakes
Can you find the mistakes in the following sentences?
1. The first table shows us the rate of marriage and divorce between 1970 -
2000.
2. While the divorce rate increased from 1 million to 1.5 million during the
same period.
3. As from 1990 to 2000 marriage rate has decreased relatively from 2.5 to 2
million.
4. As shown in table 1 that the total number of marriages were high in 1970.
5. Finally few people got divorced in 1970 than 2000.
CORRECT ANSWERS FROM SIMON:

2. Summary: describe 2 main things e.g. the overall trend for all 3
countries, and the biggest change that you can see.
3. Details: compare all 3 countries in 1940, then in 1990.
4. Details: describe the dramatic increase predicted for Japan, and compare
all 3 countries in 2040.
Note:
Try writing some essay plans like the one above. Planning makes you think
about selecting and organising, so it's a useful skill to practise (even if you don't
do a plan in your exam).
Thursday, March 22, 2012
IELTS Writing Task 1: full essay
Here's my full essay for last week's line graph question:
The line graph compares the percentage of people aged 65 or more in three
countries over a period of 100 years.
It is clear that the proportion of elderly people increases in each country
between 1940 and 2040. Japan is expected to see the most dramatic changes in
its elderly population.
In 1940, around 9% of Americans were aged 65 or over, compared to about 7%
of Swedish people and 5% of Japanese people. The proportions of elderly
people in the USA and Sweden rose gradually over the next 50 years, reaching
just under 15% in 1990. By contrast, the figures for Japan remained below 5%
until the early 2000s.
Looking into the future, a sudden increase in the percentage of elderly people is
predicted for Japan, with a jump of over 15% in just 10 years from 2030 to
2040. By 2040, it is thought that around 27% of the Japanese population will be
65 years old or more, while the figures for Sweden and the USA will be slightly
lower, at about 25% and 23% respectively.
(178 words, band 9)
Thursday, April 19, 2012
IELTS Writing Task 1: singular or plural?

So, here's my corrected paragraph:
In 1980, the US produced 131 million tonnes of waste. Japan produced the
second largest amount, with 28 million tonnes, while the figures for Poland,
Portugal and Ireland were less than 5 million. In 1990, the US created 151
million tonnes of waste, and in 2000 this rose to 192 million tonnes.
Thursday, June 14, 2012
IELTS Writing Task 1: why I'd start with task 1
Students often ask whether it's better to do task 1 or task 2 first.
In my opinion, it's best to start any exam with something quick and easy that
gives you confidence. Hopefully you'll agree that the quickest and easiest part
of the whole writing test is the introduction to task 1.
You don't need to think too much about the introduction to task 1; simply
rewrite the question statement by changing a few words. Click here to read one
of my lessons about introductions, and then read this lesson about paraphrasing.
If you practise these techniques, you'll start your IELTS writing test with
confidence.
Thursday, June 28, 2012
IELTS Writing Task 1: paraphrasing
The easiest way to start your Task 1 essay is by paraphrasing the question.
Paraphrasing means writing something in a different way (using your own
words).
Here are some simple changes you can make:
• graph = line graph
• chart = bar chart
• diagram = figure
• shows = illustrates (or 'compares' if the graph is comparing)
• proportion = percentage
• information = data
• the number of = the figure for
• the proportion of = the figure for

In last week's lesson I gave some tips about how to write a good overview to
summarise the information shown on a graph, chart or diagram. Let's look at an
example overview of the graph below.
My overview:
Overall, car ownership in Britain increased between 1971 and 2007. In
particular, the number of households with two cars rose, while the number of
households without a car fell.
Analysis: